1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 2289
Zheng Zuo had already made plans before he came to Guangzhou as to what name the resident agency Annan would set up in Guangzhou should appear in, what functions it needed to carry out, and how it would operate.However, when it comes to the specific implementation, he must also listen to the opinions of his partner Fu Ruifeng. After all, he knows very little about the situation in Guangzhou and does not have much first-hand information.

Fu Ruifeng has cooperated with Haihan for many years and has won the trust of Haihan. Zheng Zuo can see the importance that Haihan Executive Committee attaches to Fu Ruifeng from the various courtesy Li Nai received in Sanya.He believes that Fu Ruifeng can get such treatment, not just by cooperating with Haihan to do business, and its comprehensive ability must be far superior to that of ordinary merchants.

This time Zheng Zuo came to Guangzhou with Li Nai, and gradually learned more about Fu Ruifeng's situation on the way. Better than Haihan.If Annan wants to set up an office in Guangzhou, then it should be a very wise choice to cooperate with Freedom.

As the helm of Furuifeng, Li Jifeng's attitude and views on this matter are very important. This may allow Annan to avoid a lot of detours in the process and avoid the possible troubles he mentioned before. .

"Since the young prince asked, the old man still has some humble opinion for the young prince to refer to." Li Jifeng said slowly: "If there is something wrong, I hope the young prince will forgive me a lot!"

Zheng Zuo nodded and said: "Boss Li, but it's okay to say."

"The old man figured out the meaning of the little prince. He wanted this organization to follow the example of Haihan Kingdom's Guangzhou Office. On the one hand, it managed the trade affairs between the two places, and on the other hand, it also used this window to collect various information and spread its influence outward. force."

While talking, Li Jifeng paid attention to Zheng Zuo's reaction. Seeing that his expression was calm and he didn't intend to refute. It should be that what he said was inseparable, so he went on to say: "I suggest that the little prince should keep a low profile as much as possible during the preparation stage, and don't be in a hurry. In order to influence and create momentum, let the government notice the existence of this organization prematurely. Although the Guangzhou government will not interfere with Haihan's various activities here, it does not mean that it will treat Annan's organization with the same attitude. I think It is inappropriate for the government to pay attention to the Annan background of the institution before establishing official connections."

When Zheng Zuo heard it, it meant that he wanted to carry out this matter secretly.Although he didn't agree with Li Jifeng's view, he was not in a hurry to raise objections, and continued to listen to Li Jifeng quietly.

Li Jifeng went on to say: "The little prince has a noble status, and he has a lot of things to do every day, so he probably doesn't have time to guard here in person. The person who is sent to Guangzhou to preside over the affairs, it is best to have some understanding of the social conditions here, and be able to deal with it on his own. All aspects of affairs. Otherwise, if you encounter any unexpected situation, you have to try to ask your superiors for instructions first, and it will be too late."

Zheng Zuo felt that what Li Jifeng said made sense this time, and immediately nodded in agreement.

Li Jifeng asked: "Your lord, do you know who was the official Haihan sent to Guangzhou to manage affairs?"

Li Jifeng paused, and without waiting for Zheng Zuo to answer, he announced the answer himself: "At that time, there were two people who presided over the affairs here, and one was Mr. Malikoma, who is in charge of the Haikou area today. I wonder if the young prince knows him?"

Zheng Zuo nodded immediately to express his response. He had also visited Haikou before, and had met Maliko several times. In his impression, he was a very shrewd middle-aged man, but he was not very famous in the outside world.However, he had studied the relevant history before, and he also knew that Maliko had presided over the affairs of the Guangzhou Office in the early years.But as for who the other person in charge of the Guangzhou Office is, he has not seen relevant information in Haihan's official information, so that he has always believed that the first official of the Guangzhou Office is Maliko, not Know that there is another person.

Li Jifeng continued: "At the Guangzhou Office at that time, Maiko was in charge of trade and civil affairs, while affairs related to military affairs and intelligence were handled by another official. Tell me the identity of this person, I believe The little prince is no stranger either, he is Master He Xihe who is currently in charge of security affairs in Haihan Kingdom."

Zheng Zuo was slightly startled, but immediately felt that such a situation was reasonable.Of course he is aware of He Xi's special functions in Haihan's official system, but he didn't know that He Xi had been in the Guangzhou Office for a while before, so it seems that Haihan attaches far more importance to the Guangzhou Office than own imagination.

Li Jifeng said: "I don't need to say more about the status of Mr. He in the Haihan court. I think the young prince knows better than the old man. The establishment of the Guangzhou Office is not all smooth sailing. How can it take root in Guangzhou safely? The role played by the adults cannot be ignored. If the young prince wants to follow the example of the Haihan Office in Guangxi, it is best to have experts in this field among the personnel stationed in the local area, who are responsible for handling various special situations."

Li Jifeng's words were still relatively cryptic, but Zheng Zuo had already roughly understood what he meant. There may be some uncontrollable variables, which need to be dealt with by Annan's characters who can hold the scene by themselves.

As for what kind of variable it would be, Li Jifeng didn't intend to go into details, and Zheng Zuo tactfully didn't ask.

In fact, if Li Jifeng didn't say anything, Zheng Zuo could guess to a certain extent.Annan's agency in Guangzhou needs to make low-key preparations in the early stage, and it cannot attract the attention of the local government because of its special background. Being regarded as a fat sheep with no background, people from all walks of life came to ask for benefits, and there might be some local snakes with official backgrounds among them.

Haihan's Guangzhou Office may have encountered these things at the beginning, but it should be due to He Xi's ability to settle the troubles quietly afterwards.If Annan's agency in Guangzhou encounters such a thing, whether to seek help from Fu Ruifeng will reflect its ability, and this will probably directly affect their evaluation of Annan.

Zheng Zuo believes that Li Jifeng's words have two meanings. On the one hand, it is to make him realize that the establishment of the Haihan Office in Guangzhou was not all smooth sailing, and on the other hand, he also intends to test his own intentions.If the agency in Guangzhou handles it well, perhaps the future cooperation between the two parties can reach a new level and develop towards a relationship similar to that between Fu Ruifeng and Haihan.

Zhang Jinbao was not that familiar with the deeds of the high-ranking figures in Haihan, so he only had a half-knowledge at the side, and didn't fully understand the intention of the two people's conversation.However, he was roughly sure that Fu Ruifeng still had certain doubts about Annan's intention to open an agency in Guangzhou, and such doubts would not be completely resolved just because Zheng Zuo personally went to Guangzhou to preside over the preparatory work.

However, Zhang Jinbao thought that Li Jifeng's reaction was also normal. Zheng Zuo himself first mentioned the Haihan Office in Guangzhou, so Li Jifeng naturally wanted to compare them.No matter how you look at Annan, there is a gap in strength compared with Haihan.If something happened to Annan's agency in Guangzhou, it would very likely involve the partner, Fu Ruifeng.

Compared with the politically tinged project of the Annan Agency in Guangzhou, Zhang Jinbao believes that his project is much simpler. At least Haihan officials have no plans to directly intervene in it.

So when Li Nai took the initiative to mention the branching plan of Jonesy Academy to Li Jifeng, Zhang Jinbao confidently introduced his school plan to Li Jifeng in detail, and focused on the practical benefits that Fu Ruifeng could get from it.

"Dean Zhang means that the Guangzhou branch of your academy can set up some training courses for Fu Ruifeng in the future?" Li Jifeng reconfirmed with Zhang Jinbao after listening.

Zhang Jinbao nodded again and again and said: "Yes, the academy can train professionals according to Fu Ruifeng's employment needs. For example, the navigator of the ship company, the accountant who specializes in accounting, and even the shopkeeper who manages the store. It can be used as a substitute for training."

Li Jifeng nodded slightly and said: "This old man actually wanted to do this a few years ago, but he never met the right time and partner. Dean Zhang's plan is very feasible."

Zhang Jinbao said: "The third young master and I have repeatedly deliberated on the specific implementation plan on the way here, and it has basically been finalized. When it is convenient for Boss Li, I can give a detailed explanation."

Li Jifeng's attention to this project is obviously not as high as that of Annan's agency in Guangzhou. After listening to Zhang Jinbao's self-recommendation, he did not show too much interest, but turned to Li Nai and asked: "My son, what do you think of Zhang Yuan's work?" What's the long-term plan?"

Li Nai replied: "If it can be implemented according to the plan, then within a year or two, we should be able to solve the employment needs of most of the special positions. As for other issues, there are still some variables in the start-up funds, and the boy has already done it. After a rough calculation, there shouldn’t be any difficulty.”

Li Jifeng said: "Okay, since the third child also thinks there is no problem, let's put it into practice as soon as possible. If Dean Zhang has any needs during his stay in Guangzhou, just ask the third one, and he will handle it according to the circumstances. When the academy opens, The old man will invite local celebrities from Guangzhou to attend and make a name for the Academy."

With Li Jifeng's influence, he said that if he wanted to invite local celebrities, it would probably not be a small scene. This kind of publicity method is absolutely impossible for Zhang Jinbao himself, and its value is difficult to measure with money.

Zhang Jinbao hastily raised his glass to thank Li Jifeng for his care. He could see that Li Jifeng didn't intend to handle the matter himself, but as long as the other party could fulfill his promise when the academy opened, it would be a great favor.And Li Jifeng entrusted Li Nai with full responsibility for this cooperation project, which was exactly in Zhang Jinbao's arms. After all, compared to a shrewd old fox like Li Jifeng, it is of course more comfortable to deal with the young and talkative Li Nai.

After eating, Li Jifeng greeted the guests to drink tea in the flower hall, and after sitting and chatting for a while, Li Jifeng said he was tired and had to leave first to rest.Seeing this, Zheng Zuo and Zhang Jinbao didn't stay any longer, and got up together to say goodbye.

Li Nai sent the two of them out of the manor, and asked them to return to their residence to rest at ease. Someone will contact them later to arrange follow-up matters.

After Zhang Jinbao returned to his residence, he was still very excited. He originally thought that his plan to run a school would be strictly scrutinized by Li Jifeng, and he specially prepared several sets of countermeasures for this, but he didn't expect that the other party would only ask two or three simple questions. In this sentence, the cooperation project was finalized.

Of course, Zhang Jinbao also understands that this is not because his plan is flawless, so that the other party can't find faults, but that Li Jifeng probably doesn't treat the project of opening an academy as a big deal at all, and he trusts Li Nai very much. When Li Nai had already acknowledged the matter, he didn't ask for details.From this point of view, such a smooth pass is also due to Li Nai's credit.

But at this moment in Li's manor, Li Jifeng, who was supposed to go to rest, was in the study discussing with Li Nai what was mentioned at the banquet just now.

"In the future, you can make up your own mind about such small things as running the academy, and you don't need to ask me for instructions. It's best not to get too involved in the matter of the little prince Annan. This Zheng Zuo looks polite, but he can tell He thinks very highly of himself, so he may not be able to listen to what I said earlier. We don't know much about the behavior of the Annan people, so it's better to be more cautious."

Hearing this, Li Nai couldn't help interjecting, "Father thinks there are hidden dangers in the Annan people?"

Li Jifeng said: "Annan people want to cooperate with us to do business, as long as everyone is happy to make money. But if you want to pull us Fu Ruifeng to do other things, you have to stand firm and don't waver easily!"

Li Nai said: "Could it be that the Annan people set up an office for another purpose?"

"They want to be the second Haihan!" Li Jifeng explained Zheng Zuo's purpose in one sentence: "Set up a permanent office in the name of trade, and then follow the cat and draw a tiger, and learn from Haihan's method to absorb various resources from Daming. If in the future When the right time comes, it is not surprising that the Annans sent troops to occupy a piece of land along the Pearl River."

Li Nai said: "According to my father's opinion, Zheng Zuo's idea should be done by Haihan, and I, Annan, naturally did it too."

"The people of Haihan have a sense of propriety, but the people of Annan may not." Li Jifeng shook his head slightly and said, "Look at the deals you have done with the people of Annan in the past few years. They have been exploited layer upon layer. People and ghosts have to stretch out their hands to catch them." One advantage, compared with Haihan, there is no rules at all! When dealing with Annan people, you can't expect them to follow the rules, you need to be careful."

Although Li Nai didn't take his father's words seriously, he also knew that it was true. Almost everyone in Annan's officialdom had the bad habit of asking for cards. When foreign merchants came to Annan to do business, the first thing they did when they disembarked Pay the entry fee to the port defenders, otherwise you will be made things difficult, and may even be ordered to leave the same way.

(End of this chapter)